Women stranded at airport dances away her frustration with the help of some new friends
Not only did fellow travelers help Mahshid Mazooji make her fun-loving viral video, but airport workers – from baristas to airline employees – joined in the fun as well.
Oh, and then Lionel Ritchie got involved.
But let’s back up.
Mahshid Mazooji was traveling across the country back in 2017 when she missed a connection during her trip from Newark, New Jersey to Denver, Colorado to visit her family for a wedding. She got stranded at the Charlotte airport.
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And like many small airports, there wasn’t a later flight to take that day, so she realized she would be stranded there all night long.
Most of us would be fuming – or panicking – at the situation, but Mazooji was determined not to let it get to her. In the caption for her video, she said: “I didn’t want to sit in anger all night long, so instead I did what makes me happiest…DANCE!!!!”
That’s not where our minds would have gone, but OK!
“So there I was, stranded in Charlotte Douglas International Airport, completely lost my cool and furious that I had no way of getting home anytime soon. I had to check myself annnnd my attitude! What good was it going to do being pissed all night long?? Why not make light of it? And DANCE All Night Long!? So that’s exactly what I did, and I met some awesome folks along the way!”
Frankly, we would have pouted in a corner binge-watching Netflix and hating everything about travel all night, but as you can see, Mazooji’s response is so much better.
And not only did she dance, she staged an entire 2-minute video of her dancing with anyone she could find.
The soundtrack? Lionel Ritchie’s “All Night Long.”
We’re pretty sure he wasn’t referring to spending the night in an airport in the song, but that’s beside the point.
The most impressive part of the whole thing is that Mazooji’s determination to quash her bad mood and avoid becoming mired in her frustration was infectious. People at the airport really did dance with her – joyfully!
Now when we say “dance,” we mean she really got down with airport employees and fellow passengers alike.
She starts off in baggage claim, boogying with a man in a suit and a lanyard that makes him look like he might work at the airport (except that he actually has a sense of humor).
Then she’s off to the Starbucks counter to do some fist-pumping with the late-working barista.
We also catch a glimpse of Mazooji riding the escalator…
And she manages to find another couple willing to dance in their seats and spot her some high-fives, all with a smile.
Of course, the real moves come out at American Airlines gate B7 (don’t they always?).
That’s where she finds an employee in a yellow vest willing to really break it down with her.
There’s some world-class booty-shaking followed by hysterical laughter.
It’s not a surprise that this went viral – it’s hard not to smile!
Mazooji managed to upload the video in the wee hours of the morning before she left the airport.
“I stopped filming at about 3:30 a.m. and edited the video, posted it by 5 a.m. then passed out on the floor next to my gate until my flight,” she wrote. “The video really did help me pass the time.”
The video has been viewed over 3 million times on YouTube alone – perhaps most importantly by Lionel Ritchie himself! AND he complimented Mazooji’s moonwalk (which is, to be fair, amazing)!
What a sweet treat for such a joyful person!
Be sure to scroll down below to see it for yourself.
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Source: The Charlotte Observer, Mahshid Mazooji via YouTube, @zoojizooji via Instagram